1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for detecting bi-directional passage of an object in a processing path by using an articulated member arrangement.
2. Description of Related Art
The sensor flags used in conventional sheet media handling devices may degrade system performance in several ways. The system performance may be degraded, for example by tearing the sheet of media, by breaking flags when attempting to remove a sheet of media from a processing path, by impairing image quality by reducing the uniform application of heat and/or pressure to the sheets of media, or by increasing the risk of interfering with other existing components of the sheet media handling device. Further, conventional designs commonly comprise unitary, single piece flags that require an increased slot size in the associated structures of the sheet media handling device, such as the pressure plate and/or heating plates of conventional copying, printing or document scanning devices. In such media handling devices, the increased slot size may either reduce the uniformity of heat and pressure distribution to a sheet of media as it travels in a processing path or provide a catch point for a sheet edge. In either case, image quality is reduced and/or system performance is reduced.